Was over at Northwestern's Ericksen Center on Monday night to take in the scrimmage between host Northwestern and visiting Anoka-Ramsey. I was interested to see if the Golden Rams had made any visible improvements from their last scrimmage a week ago and I was curious as to how Northwestern would look in a game-setting after my visit to one of their practices a week ago as well.
1st Scrimmage
Northwestern Head Coach Aaron Kahl had his team in that 1-2-2 match-up zone; a Kahl staple and it paid dividends in the early going as Anoka-Ramsey had a difficult time getting into any offensive rhythm and encountered even more problems whenever they tried to make forays into the paint. With the score tied at 2-all at the 18:33 mark after Anoka-Ramsey sophomore guard Mattie Racek was able to connect with a jumper off the glass, Northwestern senior guard Chanel Madson knocked down a jumper from the right wing area at the 18:19 mark and at the 17:44 mark the Westbrook native drilled a "3" from the same area for a 7-2 Eagle lead and Anoka-Ramsey Head Coach David DeWitt called a quick timeout to admonish his squad's defensive efforts and to stop the early bleeding. But Northwestern would increase the lead to 10-2 by the 15:22 mark thanks to a score in the paint by junior transfer forward Regan Cooper and a charity stripe shot by junior guard Kim Campbell and the Golden Eagles maintained that eight-point cushion with Campbell's lay-up in transition at the 14:03 mark. At the 13:33 mark, Campbell struck again as she uncorked a "3" from the right corner for a 16-5 Eagle lead. Anoka-Ramsey sophomore transfer forward Alandra Brown-Cox was able to muscle her way into the paint for a score at the 12:00 mark that got the Golden Rams back to within single digits trailing 19-10 and then was also able to connect on a lay-up at the 10:43 mark to help keep Anoka-Ramsey within striking distance trailing 21-12.
But the bottom would soon fall out for the Golden Rams as Northwestern proceeded to go on a tear. Sophomore reserve guard Tiffany Stubbs let loose with a "3" from the left corner at the 10:21 mark and then it was Cooper knocking down a medium-range jumper from the right elbow area with 9:43 left for a 26-12 Eagle lead. Anoka-Ramsey's Racek tried to counter with a "3"of her own from the left top area with 9:13 left but the Golden Ram boat kept filling up with water. Northwestern freshman guard Amy Berglund hit a jumper from the left side of the rim with 8:03 left and then fellow freshman Jessica Cole made the net sing with her "3" from the left corner with 7:21 left for a 31-15 Eagle lead. Anoka-Ramsey would have one push left, however. Another Racek "3" from the left wing area with 6:34 left and a rebound and putback by Brown-Cox helped fuel a 6-0 Golden Ram spurt that briefly had the Golden Rams back to within single digits but Northwestern would soon shut the door for good on this first scrimmage. First, Campbell drained another "3" from the right wing area with 3:46 left and then another Madson "3"; this one from the left top area had the Eagles back up safely by a count of 37-22 with 2:32 left. Brown-Cox would get one last hurrah in this first scrimmage with a pretty drive and finish that got her fouled and allowed her to sink the obligatory free throw but Northwestern would close out this first scrimmage winning by a count of 37-25.
2nd Scrimmage
Anoka-Ramsey appeared primed to make amends in the second scrimmage as they got off to a solid start and bolted to a 6-2 lead by the 16:41 mark thanks to two scores by Racek. Unfortunately for the Golden Rams, that's as far as the good times went as Northwestern quickly found their way and usurped control of this second scrimmage. A 13-0 Eagle run over the course of the next four minutes completely changed the complexion of things and, even more encouraging from a Northwestern standpoint, it was spurred by some unlikely players. While a Berglund drive and finish at the 16:17 mark closed the gap to two points, Cole was able to make good on a lay-up in transition at the 15:45 mark that tied the score at 6-all. A Cole "3" from the left wing area at the 15:20 mark put the Eagles up for good in this one and the freshman from Altoona, Iowa followed that up with a lay-up after a steal at the 15:00 mark. Then, sophomore reserve forward Emily Van Lith out of Minot, North Dakota connected with a lay-up in transition at the 14:27 mark sophomore reserve post Rachel Hart got into the paint for a score at the 12:49 mark to complete the run. Two scores by Van Lith at the 11:58 and 10:44 marks allowed Northwestern to maintain a cushion of 9-10 points as the Eagles held a 19-10 lead at the 10:21 mark.
Berglund would help put this one away as three consecutive scores by the Springfield, Virginia native - a steal and lay-up at the 10:06 mark and two lay-ups in transition with 9:08 and 7:07 left - had Northwestern up 25-10. Racek tried to keep Anoka-Ramsey alive with her "3" from the right wing area with 6:37 left but more damage inflicted by both Cole and Berglund over the next couple of minutes had the Eagles up safely 31-13 with 5:24 left. The lead increased to twenty after Cole connected with a jumper from the right corner with 4:24 left followed by a Madson lay-up with 3:45 left and a 35-15 lead. Two late scores by Anoka-Ramsey from both Racek and freshman Maya DeLao couldn't stem the tide as Northwestern waltzed to a 41-20 victory in this one.
3rd Scrimmage
Kahl inserted the new faces on his squad in the last scrimmage (20 minutes running time) and although the young ones battled valiantly, Anoka-Ramsey was able to take quick advantage of their youth and inexperience. Despite a hard drive and finish by Northwestern freshman Eugenia Chamberlain that had things knotted up at 2-all by the 18:33 mark, Anoka-Ramsey's Racek was able to snare a steal and dash the other way for a lay-up at the 17:44 mark that helped spark a 7-2 Golden Ram run that had Anoka-Ramsey up 11-4 by the 12:26 mark. Northwestern would battle and keep things interesting; clawing to within six with 7:23 left. With 5:40 left, Northwestern's hopes brightened momentarily as lanky 6'2" sophomore post Lily Grothe was able to snare an offensive rebound for a putback and get to within four trailing 16-12 with 5:40 left. But a 5-0 Anoka-Ramsey run down the stretch provided the winning margin for the Golden Rams as they took the nightcap by a count of 21-12.
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